Dan Henninger of the Wall Street Journal has a terrific piece here emphasizing the brave and noble fight Garry Kasparov is waging for freedom, democracy and justice in Russia against the regime of KGB veteran Vladimir Putin. (Kasparov's photo is at right.)Henninger calls Kasparov, a former world chess champion, the "first post-Soviet dissident." Kasparov is running for the Russian presidency, not because he thinks he can win (elections in Russia remain a cruel joke), but because he is risking his life to draw attention to the corruption, inefficiency and danger represented by Putin's rule.
Is such a quixotic campaign truly dangerous? You bet. After all, two dozen journalists have been killed in recent years in Russia along with many others who were reformers and whistle-blowers in Russian government and public life.
Now, as Henninger points out, George W. Bush committed himself early and strong to Putin, but there has certainly been overwhelming evidence since then that the Russian's interests involve "anything but" democracy or even a reasonable cooperation with the West. Bush should back off and throw his blessings instead towards Kasparov and other reformers within that country. Indeed, Bush should show the same kind of enthusiasm and resolve for Kasparov that he is showing today by awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, a freedom fighter imprisoned in Castro's brutal prison system.
Again, here's the article by Henninger -- a really great read -- and over here on the WSJ video page, Henninger gives a quick summation of his argument.
Why not zip off an e-mail thanking President Bush for his award to Dr. Biscet but then include your sincere request to the President that he do similar actions to not only help promote the Other Russia movement but to help protect Garry Kasparov's life.
Here's the contact info:
President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Phone: (202) 456-1414
E-mail: president@whitehouse.gov
